Improvement in surface-condensers



P. B. STEVENS. SURFACE CONDENSER.

O. 36,810. Patented Oct. 28,18 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF IcE.

runners B. srnvnns, or new YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT m SUR FACE-CONDENSERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,810, dated October 2 1813..

To all whom it mag concern.- Be it known that I,.FRAN.CIS B. STEVENS,

of the city, county, and State of New York,

have invented a new andImproved Surface Condenser or Cooler for Steamers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

It has often been proposed to place a surface-condenser for condensing the steam or a cooler for cooling the injection-water outside of a steamer, so that the surfaces to be cooled steam to be condensed or water to be cooled,

a lamina of the water in which the steamer floats being interposed between the passages. By this means I get a form of condenser or cooler that will offer but very little obstruction to the passage of the steamer through the water. I propose to use these flat passages placed in lamimc and having the water in which the vessel floats between them either as a surface condenser -for condensing the steam that leaves the cylinder or as a cooler for cooling the injection-water on its passage between the airpump and con-denser.

Figure I represents a longitudinal elevation of my improved surface condenser or cooler attached to the side of a steamer. Fig. II represents a horizontal view of the same. Fig. III represents a cross section of the same, taken through the dotted line so so of Fig. I. Fig. IV represents a cross-section of the same, taken through the dotted line 3 1 of Fi I.

a I) c at each represent a thin fiat passage with parallel sides, through which the steam to be condensed or water to be cooled passes, enterto be condensed or water to be cooled and the water in which the vessel floats thus lying in alternate lamime. k. represents an interval between the flat passage a and the side of the steamer. Z, m, and n represent intervals be tween the other flat passages, so that a lamina of the water in which the steamer floats may flow between each of them. Each end of these v passages is sharpened, so that the obstruction to the passage of the steamer through thewater, caused by placing them outside the steamer,

may be lessened. \Vhen used for a surface condenser, the cross-section of each of the flat passages a, b, c, and d must be equal, or nearly equal, in area to the opening of the educ'tionpipe, and when used for a cooler the section must be sufficiently great to pass the inj ectionwater from the hot well back again to the C0lI-' denser. The flat passages shoiild of course be arranged symmetrically on both sides of the steamer. The flat passages can be bent to conform to the shape of the steamer.

Fig. V shows a cross-section of a portion of a steainers side with a section of a fiat passage bent to correspond to it. 1) shows the flat passage. 0 shows the interval between the flat passage and steamer. If many fiat passages were placed side by side and connected as shown in Figs. I, II, III and IV, they mightmake too great an obstruction to the motion of the steamer through the water.

Fig. VI represents a longitudinal elevation of another application of my invention, with the passages so arranged that the steam'to be condensed or water to be cooled passes through each of the passages a, b, c, and dscparately," and not from one to the other, as shown in Figs. I, II, III, and IV. Fig. VIII is a horizontal view of the same. Fig. VIII is a crosssection of the same, taken through the dotted lines was of Fig. VI. Fig. IX isa cross-section of the same, taken through the dotted line 3/ y of Fig. VI. q is a pipe forming the port of entrance for the passage a, and r is a pipe turned to the same end that it entered, and that thus both the ports of entrance and of exit are attached to the vessel at the same end,

.so that the flat passage has liberty to expand.

As'in this arrangement only one-fourth of the steam passes through each, of the flat pas-'1 represents a horizontal view of the same. Fig.

XII represents a cross-section taken through the dotted lines a" m of Fig. X. a a show the fiat passages. 7.- I: show the water-spaces be tween them. D is the port of entry, and E is the port of exit.

' What I claim as my invention is- 1. Forming a surface condenser or cooler on the. outside submerged surface of a steamer by "placing there one or more thin and flat pas- .sages containing the steam to be condensed or 'water to'be cooled, and having a lamina of the water in which the steamer floats interposed between them.

2. The passages so arranged that each passage has its own separate port of entry and of exit.

New York, September 20, 1862.

FRANCIS B. STEVENS.

Witnesses:

ALBERT S. EASUM, A. L. TELFER. 

